Editing

         I have been testing out adobe pro recently. I have worked with bits and pieces of editing throughout the year, but I feel there's a lot of room for improvement. I have been watching different tutorial videos to learn more. My project is going to take a lot of editing, especially for the montage part of the intro. Some specific things I need to focus on are: 

• pacing of cuts
• sound effects
• lighting and blur effects

    I feel that these are all simple things to learn to edit because they are common. They definitely take practice and perfecting them, but that will come with time. 

    I plan to dedicate at least a week for editing, just to make sure there are no mess-ups. Hopefully, my timeline adds up to this, but we will see because things tend to change and happen really fast.

A little set back :(

     I'm currently stuck on the storyboard of my creative process. I have all the ideas in my head, I just don't know how to draw them out on paper. I feel that creating a virtual storyboard may be better but I don't know. I think I need to focus more on the kinds of shots I want and the idea I want to create before piecing together each individual shot.

    This is a very stressful moment for me because I want to keep my project running on schedule. This week I'm going to set aside time to really think my storyboard through. Hopefully, that will help me finally decide how I want it to look. 

    Meanwhile, I have still been playing with my camera. I was struggling with figuring out the focus frame, but I finally found the setting that matches what I need, so that was relieving. Stay tuned to see how my storyboard turns out :)

                                                Me trying to figure out my storyboard lol.

Target audience;)

  My movie is going to be targeted at a more mature audience. It will be rated R because I do feel that with Nyla being in her early 20s it would fit that. It will mainly be targeted at people in their late teens and above. The movie will discuss some graphic topics because of her accident, but it will also show different, fun aspects of her life from the past. 

    Some basic characteristics of my movie that fit the genre will include:

• a fun montage
• a troublesome situation
• a unique sidekick

    Obviously, it won't all be included in the film opening, but I do want to introduce the sidekick/ best friend during the hospital scene. I'm almost at the time where my script starts to be developed just not there yet. 

Production Schedule

     So, I have yet to begin production, but I do have a plan. My scenes can be filmed at various times because they are set in different places. This is helpful because I can film over time, and I don't have to worry about matching wardrobe. I plan to start filming the weekend of March 11th. I will probably not film in order, but I do want to film the sunrise that weekend. I have prepared time slots in my schedule to allow myself time to focus on my project. 

    In order to film the sunrise scenes, I'm going to have to have someone with me to help record when I am in the scene. I chose to be the character of Nyla cause I feel it'll make the film opening more personal to me. I'm so excited to use my new camera. 

    I want to be done with filming by at least the end of spring break so I have time to edit, but hopefully, I'll be done before then so I can focus on editing during my time off. Things tend to change fast though, so we will see how this goes. 

Creating Nyla :)

    Nyla is my character for my film opening. I picture Nyla to be this free, adventurous girl. She believes that life should be lived to the fullest no matter what. 

    It is this sense of adventure that gets Nyla in trouble, but that will not be introduced until later into the movie. If the introduction is payed close enough attention to then this idea can be depicted, but if not it that will be a main idea in the movie. I know i'm only creating a film opening but I feel it is easier to come up with close details for the actual movie, so that the intro is fitting. 

    In terms of wardrobe for Nyla I feel that a basic daily closet will be fitting, but she really dresses up when she goes out. This will be shown through the memories. The colors she dresses in are mostly going to be bright, to display her personality as happy. Colors like light blue, light green, yellow, and a light pink are going to be focused on for the project. 

 

Character mood board

                                                     So this is my characters mood board!

    My characters name is Nyla. Nyla is very fun, outgoing girl who loves to always be having fun. She is adventurous, takes constant trips, and loves to do crazy stunts. We will find out more about Nyla as my project begins to develop, but for now, here is an introduction of her. Hope you enjoy:)

First 30 second outline

  Okay this is my last time changing my mind... maybe;) Just kidding, I have decided to stick with my original film opening idea. I've spoken with a few people on the idea, and they all agreed that this was the best idea. Honestly I think that this would be a more enjoyable idea to create and watch. 

    So, here is the plan for the first 30 seconds:)

First 15 seconds: 

Electric Love by Borns begins

Sunrise appears

first beat drops

main character running in the sunrise

Second beat drop

Smiling outside of the car window at night

(Like this but filmed at night)

Second 15 seconds: 

Getting ice cream at the beach

having fun at a picnic 

dancing in the rain

watching the sunset

black screen cuts

Overview

    It is very easy to just write out an idea, but I did want to cover some details that are important traits to the film opening. My song choice specifically, it is a song that begins slowly and then speeds up. I plan to edit the cuts with the speed of the music to keep the video moving smoothly. The pace of the music and the cuts need to match, it's going to take precise editing to complete.

contemplating ideas

 Ok well hello, Im back :)

    I've put a lot of thinking into my project the past few days and now I'm stuck. I was thinking about a situation I was in a bit ago and it sparked an idea. I have this one really good memory that I will always carry with me. While going over this moment in my head it brought on the idea of creating my film opening on it. So... here it is. 

    It still falls in the romance genre, which is good because all my research will still be useful. Now have you ever had one of those really calming moments that you just never wanted to leave. The innocence and genuineness you feel during these is so consuming. This is the feeling I want to evoke from my film opening. So picture this, 80% of this takes place in the same room. It has 2 characters laying on a bed together. There is neon blue lights on. Now most of the time you see their figures darkly, but in a few shots you can see their faces. The whole thing is them messing around, INNOCENTLY of course. Laughing, cuddling, talking, just a bunch of moments that present a deep connection. 

    Then BAM, it cuts and you only see one of the characters there on a morning. You may be asking yourself what happened to the other character?  Well that's what the rest of the movie will be about. 

    Now I know this idea may be too much, but I think if it's executed correctly it could be great. Don't think I forgot about my music choice cause I didn't. Angels by The XX would be my song. It's just an idea but it's slowly becoming my favorite.

Camera Update :)/ Production agenda

     I have been messing around and testing my camera out a lot this past week. I ordered a tripod for it so I can have still frames when filming. It should come in this week. Then I will learn how to use the tripod. 

    I want to continue to play around with my camera to see how much I can learn about the functionality before starting the production process.

Production Agenda 

    I plan to start my production within the next 3 weeks. It can be an extended process because it is many memories throughout a long time period. So wearing different outfits, being in different environments and with different people would be very fitting for the video idea regardless. Obviously, the agenda is subject to change throughout the process of the project. 

    Many ideas may change as well, but right now I feel that I am at a good place and made a lot of progress within week 1. Stay tuned to see all the twists and turns this project takes me through:)

Music rights

 Researching How to Gain the Rights to Music

    I have been looking at the process of gaining rights to the song I want to use for my opening. It's definitely a long process to undergo. I have been searching for the label I need to email to get the correct copyright for the song. Once I find the email address, I will contact them through email. I want to get this done asap, because sometimes it can take long to get a response. 

    Hopefully I get this done in time, if not I do have a backup plan. I will find a song that is not copyrighted to use for my project. I will continue to update on this process throughout the journey.

Brain Storming

     I have been tossing around many ideas on what I want to do for my film opening. There's many different genres but I selected mine already. Now I am trying to figure out the storyboard to go along with story lines. 

My Favorite Idea So Far

    So, the one idea I feel in love with was creating a memory montage. The video will begin with the song Electric Love by Borns. I will get into getting the rights for this song later on this week. As the song begins, the different memories will begin to play. I'd love to start with a sunrise clip. I think I can capture a really good video of the sunrise with my new camera. After the sunrise, the memories will start to play. I would start with running on the beach, picnics, playing sports, hanging out with friends and a bunch of monumental memories. I think this would create the idea of a fulfilled life. During this I would also roll the credits. 

    The music will suddenly cut and the sound of a hospital monitor will begin to play. The scene will pan to the main character laying in a hospital bed. It will go back to a 3 days later scene. This will be the end of the opening and start of the movie. 

    I feel that this is my favorite idea at the moment, but as the project progresses I will continue to re-evaluate it. Stay tuned to find out;)

    

The Canon EOS Rebel t7

 The Cannon EOS Rebel T7

I have a few idea's for my project, but if there's one thing that is set in stone, it's the camera I will be using. After years of begging my parents for a film camera, I recently received the Cannon EOS Rebel T7! 

    Now, I definitely have a lot to learn about this camera. I've been playing around with it the past few day's, testing out the different settings, lenses and video recording settings. It's been fun, it's a really cool camera that has taught me a lot so far. 

    I feel that this camera will benefit me and my project a lot. Some of the ways it may help are: 

• Built in Stabilizer
• Filters on the camera
• Editing software that can be downloaded with the camera
• Many different ISO options
• Different settings for different image type

    I think that there's a lot for me to learn from my new camera, but with youtube tutorials, research and playing with the camera, I do not doubt that I will be able to perfect it with time. 

The Creation Of A Film Opening

    Well, after a long 6 months, it is finally time to begin my biggest project of the year: the film opening. I cannot lie, I was a bit nervous when I first heard about this project, but after receiving more details about the project I could not be more excited. All the has been going through my head the past few days are ideas for this project. Although I am early on in the decision stages of this project, i'm so excited to see what I can create from it. 

                                                                    Genre Consideration

    I have spent the past few days debating what I want to create for this piece, but I came to the realization that one thing that may help me narrow down my ideas is to decide on a genre. So... after plenty of consideration and research I decided the Drama genre would be perfect. I truly enjoy a good romantic drama or teen drama. Also, TV shows in this drama tend to grab a hold on my attention. One of my favorite movies, although it may be cliché is The Notebook (2004). 

    This movie had me so invested I was sobbing into my blanket while watching it. I truly enjoyed the plotline, mise-en-scene, dialogue and production style of this film. Though the movie was amazing, I chose not to follow a typical plotline of a romantic drama. Instead I would say that my movie inspiration is Me Before You (2016). 

    Some of my idea's can be credited to this movie, but my film opening will not replicate this film in anyways. 

    I may have time and a lot of time to change my decision on my choice of genre, but i'm pretty set in stone with this one so don't expect a change. This creative process is going to be so fun and I can't wait to document the entire thing. Stay tuned to find out what's up next ;)